Portraits of people with dementia: three case studies of creating portraits

Communication difficulties associated with late-stage dementia can make it difficult for care staff in residential environments to get to know people with dementia. This lack of knowledge can have a negative effect on the social environment of residential facilities which can have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of the residents and the job satisfaction of the staff. In this paper we discuss the creation of Portraits of people with dementia to aid care staff in understanding the individual. The major findings of these case studies include that it is possible for families to create Portraits of their relatives within a relatively short period of time, families found the process enjoyable and a good trigger for reminiscence.